


Welcome to Boston

by EndlessExplorer



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: BoS, Brotherhood, Brotherhood of Steel - Freeform, Companions, F/M, Friendship, Heartbreak, Love, Partnership, Revenge, Trust
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 21:48:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13350198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndlessExplorer/pseuds/EndlessExplorer
Summary: A novelization of one of my Fallout 4 characters, a brotherhood sentinel named Samantha Winters. This will include DLC, main story, and maybe some original filler by myself. Please Read, Rate, and Enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: “To Heck in a Hand-basket”**

  Sam stood on the platform, waiting for the train. It was nerve-wrecking to be sure, because she hadn’t seen Nate since he went off to fight in the war. They kept in contact while he was away, but in his letters home, the cheerful attitude that he was almost famous for, seemed to have slowly ebbed away.

  Samantha loved her husband. Nate was her best friend through school, college, and all the time they spent together after. When Nate had proposed to Sam on her birthday, it was the best present she could have ever gotten. Looking down, she nervously twisted the gold band on her right hand. Sam had made vows that day to stay with Nate ‘til death do us part’ and ‘through sickness and through health’. Sam would stay up and hold him if he had nightmares, or help him in anyway she could. Sam just hoped that the man she married hadn’t been left behind somewhere in a trench and that the person she was about to invite home wasn’t some heartless monster.

  Soon, the train’s horn blew. Sam stood and picking up the picnic basket she had brought with her, waited to see her Nate. Veterans came off the train in droves. Sam was surprised that she recognized so many of them from the torturous years of school. Some had even gotten married to some of the girls that Sam was friends with in school. If they had even bothered to keep in contact with her afterwards, she might have known. Sadly, Nate still hadn’t shown up and Sam was afraid that maybe he wasn’t coming home. Suddenly, Sam heard her name being called.

  “Sammy?” she heard. It had to have been Nate. He was the only one who would call her by that name. The only one allowed anyway…

  “Nate?... NATE?” Samantha called out. Then she saw him. Her Nate, through the crowds. Nate had a few extra scars now, but those deep blue eyes of his. They were just as deep as she remembered. Nate dropped his duffel bag and they ran towards each other, with Sam leaping into her husband’s arms. Nate caught her effortlessly and spun around a few times before kissing Sam deeply and passionately. They hungrily locked lips, having been missing each other since Nate had gone away. After a few minutes, Sam broke the kiss. Her eyes were red and puffy from the tears she hadn’t realised had been falling. Looking at Nate, the ‘hardened soldier boy’ was the exact same. Looking again into Nate’s eyes, Sam saw that despite how he sounded in his letters home, the playfulness was still there. He may have some new scars, but Sam would take the time to plot out every new part of Nate’s body. He was still her Nate.

  A low rumble broke the silence, and Nate laughed while he rubbed his stomach.

  “I don’t suppose you brought those roast beef sandwiches I like? As much as I missed you, the army was practically starving us. That stuff that they tried to pass as food? It’d have killed you faster than any stray bullet…” Nate said. Sam laughed before she shook the wicker basket gently. Lifting one side of the basket top, Sam watched as Nate sniffed deeply. His eyes rolled back, and his tongue fell out of his mouth like a dog. Sam almost bent in half, laughing as hard as she was. Just as Nate went to swipe for the basket, Sam ran for their black sedan, laughing as Nate gave chase.

  Later that day, Sam and Nate were lying down in a park close to Sanctuary Hills. While Nate was away, Sam’s father had passed away. While Sam was heartbroken that she was alone, every letter she received from Nate would always say how sorry he was that he wasn’t there when she needed him. Sam had also inherited a large sum of money from her father as she was an only child and her mother had died a couple years previous. With the money, Sam had bought one of the new houses built in Sanctuary Hills and had also put herself through law school. Nate joked about how much had changed since he left, but he promised that he wouldn’t miss anymore. His fighting days were over, and if need be, he’d apply for a job over at the national guard post. Sam snuggled closer to Nate, feeling his heat through the light t-shirt and slacks that he’d thrown on. As the stars shone high above them, Nate wrapped his arms tightly around Sam, almost as though she’d disappear if he didn’t. Sam welcomed the close contact. As Nate ran his index finger in small circles along Sam’s arm, she shivered as the hairs stood up along her arm. The years of friendship between Nate and Sam gave them the ability to talk to one another without words. They finished each other’s sentences, the ying to each other’s yang. In simple terms, they were made for each other.

  Their simple night together turned into a night of intense passion and an overflow of emotions. The prospect of getting caught in such a vulnerable position only fuelled the fires of their love-making and from their night together, Sam and Nate had received the greatest gift of all. Nine months later, Sam had given birth to a healthy baby boy named Shaun. Sam remembered her mother talking about the first time that she had held her and the feeling that she had felt. That she’d have done anything for the little giggling bundle in her arms. Sam thought she was crazy until she had held Shaun for the first time. Life was looking good for the Winter’s… but such good things must come to an end.

  The bitter memory came to Sam as she knelt on the entrance to Vault 111, looking out at the ruin that used to be her neighbourhood. In the blink of an eye, Sam’s life had been turned on it’s head and burnt. Nate was dead, Shaun had been kidnapped, and the world was a ruin of it’s former self. Sam cried then, cried for her Nate, her baby, and all the friends and family that she had lost. One thing that Sam knew for sure though, is that Shaun was still alive, her maternal instinct just knew it. Sam’s baby was out there, trapped in this living hell and God have mercy on whatever came between Sam and Shaun. Nothing would stop her.


	2. Busy Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter. Not my best work, but please let me know what ye thought.

When Sam had run out of tears, she slowly rose to her feet. Walking down the path from the Vault, Sam walked over skeletons that were raggedly dressed. Taking a moment, Sam thought of how eager she was to get her family to safety, but what about everyone else? God knows how long it’s been, but the skeletons remain. An ugly reminder to when humanity was destroyed.

  Soon Sam was reunited with Codsworth, the Winter’s Mister Handy robot. While he looked a little worse for wear, Sam wrapped her arms around Codsworth, grateful for at least one thing from her old life was still around. After the mutant roaches that were the size of terriers, the familiarity of Codsworth and his chipper British accent, reduced Sam to tears once again. Codsworth directed Sam to the ruin of her former bedroom so that she could rest. Sam ended up collapsing in the hallway, the emotional stress and sheer exhaustion proving too much for her to handle.

 The following day, Sam checked the small safe that she had installed before Nate got back. Inside was a small wooden box that was one of the other things that Sam had inherited from her father. Sheepishly, Sam opened the box to reveal a polished .357 magnum revolver. It was a weapon that Sam had plenty of experience using because she used to rob it when she was a little girl and shoot cans off the fence on her family farm. Pocketing the ammunition, Sam had decided to follow Codsworth’s advice and headed to Concord. Along the way, Sam made a new friend in the form of a wandering soul. He had a tag that roughly read ‘ _Dogmeat_ ’ but no clue as to an owner. Dogmeat stuck by Sam and helped her defeat the raiders that were plaguing both Concord and its museum of Freedom.

  In the museum, Sam had found a group of settlers. A ragtag group of farmers and helped them get back to Sanctuary Hills. Preston, the group’s leader, asked Sam if she’d mind joining him by joining his minutemen group, but she declined the offer every-time Preston brought it up. After Sam gathered what few possessions she had left, she left Sanctuary with Dogmeat and Codsworth in tow. Next stop was Lexington.

  That had been two hours ago that Sam abandoned Sanctuary. It was too painful now to return to the neighbourhood. Before Sam had left, she had taken Nate out of the cryo-pod and she buried him in their front yard. The pain of losing her best friend and husband, as well as her baby boy had returned in full force and Sam broke down for a short while. Mama Murphy had attended the service, complimenting Sam in her efforts of giving Nate a proper burial. In the end, Mama Murphy offered Sam some Jet to calm her down, but Sam snapped. Sam shouted at Mama Murphy saying how she shouldn’t have to calm down. That her life had gone from great to absolute shit in the space of a few hours. Sam feared that she was already starting to lose herself to this new-found reality and decided that some space away from people might do her some good.

  Sam looked down at Dogmeat sleeping beside her. Rubbing the back of his ear, Sam stared into the fire, thankful for the heat that it gave off. Codsworth had powered down for the night so again, Sam was all alone. The future scared her, more then she even realised, but being ever the optimist, Sam hoped that a ray of light would break through the clouds, and all she had to do is survive long enough to see it.


	3. Clearing out the Trash in Lexington

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam travels to Lexington and dishes out some justice!
> 
>  
> 
> Next Chapter: Recon Squad Gladius

**_ Chapter 3: Clearing out the trash in Lexington. _ **

Sam, Dogmeat, and Codsworth had left their camp before first light. Sam wanted to keep moving. Wanted to get as far away from Sanctuary Hills, Vault 111, and that foreboding shadow that they seemed to drape over her. Sam had decided never to set foot on that ground again, except for Nate’s anniversary. Passing a small diner, Sam noticed that the owner seemed to be having an argument with some people. Sam decided to see what was going on.

  “Come on now Trudy… that boy owes us some fucking caps and if you think that we’re just gonna forget about them because he came running home to mommy, well then… let’s see if some lead can clear that thick head of his!” One man shouted. A woman from inside the diner, who Sam now guessed was Trudy, replied with the cock of a double-barrel shotgun. Sam sighed.

“Fucking Christ! Can nobody solve their problems without using guns nowadays!” Sam mumbled under her breath. Walking closer, Sam could see that there was a man and a woman. They both had sawn-off shotguns and grubby clothes. Raiders. The guy suddenly pulled his shotgun out and pointed it square at Sam’s chest. Sam was seriously sick of people pointing their guns at her, so her mood quickly soured.

  “ah, ah, ah… stop right there scavver. This is our spot. Now fuck off!” the guy said.

“First thing, I’m not a ‘scavver’, and secondly, take that damn gun out of my face before your friend there has to pull it out of your ass!” Sam said calmly. Her face was calm, but her eyes portrayed all her pent-up anger. Bad thing, the raider decided to push further.

  “Who the fuck do you think you are?! Do you think that some soft looking settler cou” Wolfgang started, but was stopped in his tracks when Sam suddenly pulled her revolver and shot Wolfgang between the eyes. Before his friend could pull her own gun, Sam right hooked her in the jaw and Dogmeat tackled her to the ground, tearing her throat out. Sam holstered her gun and headed inside, Dogmeat following close behind. Codsworth stayed outside and rooted through the corpses for anything decent. While Sam was thankful for Codsworth’s company, he also served as a painful reminder for when everything in her life went wrong. If he wasn’t so useful as storage, Sam mightn’t have ever taken him from Sanctuary Hills. Sam sat down on a stool inside the diner and placed her gun down on the countertop.

  “The strongest drink you have, and as much as you have in stock.” Sam said, not even bothering to look up at the woman who had extended her hand. Trudy pulled her hand back and went searching for some liquor.

  “Hey, I don’t mind that you’re not much of a talker but I’m just happy that at least the crows will get a meal out of those assholes. Name’s Trudy. Trudy Drumin. That over there, is my boy Patrick. The idiot got himself addicted to Chems, and that’s why I had the pleasure of meeting those shit stains. Pat may drive me nuts, but I’d protect him till my final breath. Got any kids of your own?” Trudy asked, pouring a glass of whiskey. Sam grabbed the glass and took a sip.

  “Nah. Haven’t had the pleasure. I’d hope to someday.” Sam replied. Looking over her shoulder, Sam saw Patrick with his head between his knees, rocking gently. “He’s a lucky boy to have such a caring mother.”

  “Oh, I’ll clear those Chems out of him. Might take a while, but we’ll manage. By the way, do you have somewhere to stay nearby or are you a wanderer?” Trudy asked, pouring Sam another glass. Sam absent-mindedly rubbed Dogmeat with one hand and grabbed the glass with the other.

  “I’ve nowhere in this world right now. Was hoping to find somewhere decent to squat in Lexington. Was a nice place once upon a time.” Sam answered. Trudy laughed.

  “Nowadays ain’t nothing in Lexington except Ferals or those raiders in the old Corvega plant. I’d say stay well clear of that place. How about you stay here tonight, and tomorrow you can head away early? After what you did for me and Pat, well you and your like are always welcome here. Also, if your pockets are full and you want to earn a few caps, I’ll trade with you.” Trudy offered. Sam stared into her glass of amber fluid for a second before she accepted the offer. After a few more glasses and a nice chat between herself and Trudy, Sam retired to a sleeping bag that was lying in the corner. Sam was wearing her vault suit beneath the leather duster she’d found and started rubbing the fabric between her fingers. Sam’s loneliness was crippling, and the alcohol helped her keep calm. Sam’s life had gone from perfect to absolute hell all in what felt like a couple days. She’d traded white picket fences for weak wire fences and mutated creatures as tall as buses. Sam cried again that night after watching Trudy press a gentle kiss to her son’s forehead, and she thought off all the cuts and bruises that Shaun might have that she could kiss and help make better. If Sam would fall to this world, it wouldn’t be until she’d have saved Shaun and made sure that someone would take care of him if she couldn’t. Dogmeat laid down beside Sam and wiggled in close. Sam could feel the heat radiating off him and was grateful. Soon, due to exhaustion, Sam slept.

The following morning, Trudy had offered Sam a box of ammunition for her .357 and a few stimpaks. Sam took the box of ammo, but told Trudy to keep the stimpaks for Patrick, seeing as he’d probably need them. Trudy again warned Sam to stay clear of Lexington, and to try and re-join the main road in Cambridge if she was heading to Diamond City. Sam didn’t tell Trudy, but she wanted to go to the Corvega plant. Wanted to bring some rightful justice down on those bastards, so she bid Trudy and Patrick farewell and after telling Codsworth to meet them in Cambridge, headed into Lexington with Dogmeat following close behind.

  Lexington had turned out to be just as Trudy had described. Sam was walking up a street when things that looked like walking corpses had fallen from a walkway overhead. They looked like something out of Sam’s old comic books but seeing them in real life terrified her. Sam let loose with her trusty sidearm and managed to get out with just a scratch. The wound looked like it was infected, so Sam injected a stimpak beside the yellowing flesh and sighed as the meds did their work. Looking at them, Sam wondered who these ‘Ferals’ were when they were normal. Did they have jobs? A family? Friends? Were they convicted killers or pillars of the community in which they grew up in? Sam was lost in thought as she approached the old Corvega plant. Seeing the rusted wrecks, Sam remembered her old cherry red Corvega Coupe. Oh, how she loved that car. Nate would always joke about how she should stop trying for her lawyer’s license and become a race car driver, but she’d always jokingly put him down. Sam walked along the path towards the plant but took shelter inside an old bus stop when she saw someone patrolling the gangway out front. Dogmeat looked at her with excitement in his eyes.

  “Hey boy, see if you can get me something nice, will you?” Sam asked. Dogmeat seemed to understand her and ran off. As Sam was refilling her Revolver, she heard someone grunt, followed by gargling noises. Dogmeat soon returned with a hunting shotgun in his maw, and Sam rewarded him with a belly rub and some dog treats that she found in Concord. Sam left her shelter and slipped in through the plant’s main entrance before anyone saw her. Nate had explained some of his missions to her before and taking one of his points, Sam hid the body of the raider that Dogmeat had killed. More bodies meant an increased chance of being spotted and if Sam could help it, she wanted to be as discrete as possible.

The inside of the plant was dark and gloomy. A few lights flickered through the various holes in the walls, but they weren’t enough to make the place look welcoming. The other thing that took from the interior decorations were the raiders crude attempts at art. Bodies were strewn around the room, skeletons and blood and ophal littered like garbage. Sam took a bandana out of her pack and wrapped it around her face tight. A trickling noise came from the corner of the room, and Sam saw that it led to a toilet. Sneaking by the door, Sam saw a raider pissing into a urinal and he sang ‘Sixty Minute Man’ horribly off tune. Just as the Raider was about to hit some high note, Sam had buried a knife in his throat and caught his body before it hit the ground. Sam rifled through his pockets and pulled out some more ammunition for her shotgun. Sam was running low on .357 rounds, so she decided to bench her revolver for a while and rely on whatever else she had. Sam left the bathroom and jumped when a small toy monkey beside her started clapping its cymbals. In the quiet of the plant, the toy was deafening and after the initial surprise, Sam grabbed the creepy sentry and yanked the batteries out of it’s back. The silencing of the monkey was followed by the cocking of firearms and shuffling feet, so Sam threw a mine over by the double doors and hopped over the reception desk. The mine triggered and splinters were sent in all directions as the doors were destroyed. For the short few seconds of time she had, Sam thought of her Nate and Shaun and how she’d never find the people who destroyed her life if she died here. Rising from her crouched position, Sam started fighting on pure instinct. Bullets were flying in all directions, but time moved at a snail’s pace. Burst Molotov’s were encasing the hallways in bright flames, but Sam kept going. One Raider tried to charge at Sam but just as he was within slashing distance with his pocket knife, Sam let rip with her shotgun and the raider promptly ended at the shoulder blades, the remainder of his cranium showering the other Raider’s behind him. Sam had no idea where these instincts were coming from, but in the end, it was just herself and Dogmeat left. Clipping her shotgun across her back, Sam started looting the bandits. Heading upstairs, Sam heard shuffling feet and rapid movements. Obviously, they had heard the commotion downstairs.

Nate had always commented on how perceptive Sam was, and using that to her advantage, Sam cased the room before her. A Protectron stood dormant in it’s charging pod, but Sam couldn’t hack the terminal. A single searchlight, supported by three machinegun turrets made up the bulk of the Raider’s defences and there were also pressurised gas tanks scattered around the room. Sam knew that any move she made would result in a battle, so she had to choose carefully. Sam had one full magazine left for her revolver and plenty of shotgun ammunition. The shotgun would be useless unless she was right up against something, so that left her magnum. Taking aim at a welding tank, Sam took her shot and got a direct hit. The ensuing explosion took out three guys standing over the tank which was a bonus. The walkway was extended, and the Raiders started spilling out, looking for Sam. Taking her chances, Sam took out her shotgun and started firing. Dogmeat was charging alongside her and the fight was brutal.

Using her shotgun like a club, Sam took down two Raiders, which Dogmeat quickly finished off. Heading straight for the prefab’s, Sam got shelter from the turrets as well as a chokepoint to make the fight easier. The Raider leader, Jared, was waiting for her and grabbed Sam when she wasn’t looking. Jared threw Sam into a wall, but Sam rolled at the end of the throw and stood back up. At that moment, Sam was thankful for Nate having convinced her to keep doing Athletics back in school. Jared tried to take a swing at Sam, but she ducked underneath his arm and pointed her shotgun straight at his head. Without warning, Sam fired and launched Jared’s corpse over the railing. The other Raiders looked at Jared’s headless corpse and, in their drug, fuelled states, they ran. Sam wiped her forehead on her sleeve and turned off the power source for the turrets. Pulling a can of Pork’n’Beans from her bag, Sam ate half and then poured the remainder onto a ceramic plate for Dogmeat. Now that the adrenaline had left her system, Sam felt a crippling exhaustion. Spotting a clean sleeping bag in the corner, Sam laid down. Dogmeat crawled into a ball at her feet and together they slept after their long fight. Sam knew things would probably only get harder from here, but that was a problem for tomorrow. Today, Sam cleared some Raiders out of a car manufacturing plant and did her best to make things safer for others. Sam will get her revenge, but if she can help along the way, well then why not?


	4. Recon Squad Gladius

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam says goodbye to an old friend, and hello to a bunch of new ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the drastic loss of a character so soon...

The following morning, Sam left Lexington. Most of Lexington was still home to gangs of Raiders and Sam knew that if she stayed, she’d soon get into a fight that she wouldn’t survive. Heading South from the Corvega plant, Sam was flicking through broadcast ranges on her pip-boy. Dogmeat was sticking closely to her left side and Codsworth was lethargically following behind them. Anytime now that Sam talked to the old Mr. Handy unit, Codsworth replied with sour tones, and it was something that Sam didn’t think was possible. Sam now expected him to try and use his flamethrower or saw blade on her, but thankfully it seemed it was impossible for him to do so. Owner Override or something. Sam’s mother always praised her vivid imagination, always commenting on how easy it was for her to spin lies or craft stories from thin air. Every time Sam laid eyes on the rusty British robot, she could imagine a snooty butler looking down at her and the image infuriated her. Maybe she should scrap him or sell him. As useful as he was with Shaun, Codsworth was now a painful reminder and his constant reminders of how ‘Master Nate’ would disapprove of Sam’s actions only made it easier for Sam to make up her mind.

Finally, Sam seemed to pick up on something. A faint whisper of a broadcast. Sam searched for the proper broadcast range and after some fine tuning, she found it. It was a woman’s voice and she sounded desperate, fearful.

  “ _This is Scribe Haylen of Reconnaissance Squad Gladius to any unit in transmission range. Authorisation Arx. Ferrum. Nine. Five. Our unit has sustained casualties and we’re running low on supplies. We’re requesting support or evac from our position at Cambridge Police Station…”_ the message shouted.

It was on a loop, so god knows if they were still alive. Sam didn’t know why but she almost felt compelled to help them if she could. Being a native Bostonian, Sam knew they were less than five minutes from Cambridge, even less from the Police Station. In fact, Sam was well aware of that particular police station seeing how herself and Nate ended up spending a night there more than once when they were in college. Even worse that her father was the captain in charge and she’d receive earful after earful about conduct and common sense. Turning to head for Cambridge, Codsworth piped up.

 “Ma’am? Where are you off to? Should we not head for this Diamond City and try to save the young Shaun?”

  “We will Codsworth, but you heard that broadcast. They need help and we can give help. We’ll head to Diamond City after.” Sam retorted.

  “Well one would think as Shaun’s mother, that he’d be higher on your list of priorities. We can’t stop for everyone who wishes for our help…” Codsworth replied. Sam felt a fury building behind her eyes. Dogmeat seemed to pick up on Sam’s temperament and started growling at Codsworth. Squeezing the grip of her magnum, Sam in the flash of an eye, drew her gun and started shooting Codsworth. It didn’t take long as Codsworth was in a terrible condition, but soon the robot died with his circuits sparking. Sam didn’t even bother taking anything off him and just charged for Cambridge. Guilt was creeping up on Sam as she got closer to the police Station. It was possible that Sam had now just murdered the final connection she had to her life before the vault. Codsworth was a friend at one point but this new reality was changing Sam. She was more violent, less patient and easily frustrated. Tears fell down Sam’s face as she turned the corner to the Police Station, but what she saw didn’t allow her to keep crying.

In the courtyard of the Police Station stood a man holding a rifle. He was in a suit of Power Armour, that looked to be in pristine condition and his face was emotionless as he mowed down wave after wave of those ‘Ferals’ as Trudy called them. Remembering why she was here, Sam started shooting the Ghouls. Somehow ending up beside the Guardian in the armour, together they were dispatching Ghouls as soon as they showed their irradiated faces. After a few short minutes, the Ferals lay dead and Sam reloaded her magnum before she holstered the gun again. Looking around, Sam saw one person leaning against the wall, moaning and holding a cloth to what must have been a bullet wound or gash. There was a woman lying dead on the barricade, another applying a stimpak to the injured soldier, and then Sam’s attention fell on the man in the Power Armour. A fleck of raven hair was peeking out from underneath his hood and his face was scarred, showing how much fighting he had been exposed to. An image of Nate flashed before Sam’s eyes and not being able to stay together, Sam started crying.

After a minute or so, an armoured gauntlet was rubbing Sam’s back in awkward circles. Wiping the tears from her face, Sam looked at the man in the power armour again. His face was twisted in confusion and it was only then that Sam realised that he had been trying to ask her a question.

  “We appreciate the help civilian, but what is your business here? Are you alright?” The man asked.

  “Me? I’m just trying to survive. Who are you?” Sam asked. The man seemed to look at her as though he was trying to see if she could do any harm. Nate used to do the same thing whenever the paper would be delivered. Must be instinctive.

  “My name is Paladin Danse. I’m a member of the Brotherhood of Steel. Those over there are Knight Rhys and Scribe Haylen. We’re here in the Commonwealth on a mission but we are unable to send messages to our superiors. Now, who are you?” Danse asked. He had lowered the rifle that Sam only then noticed was level with her chest. Either she didn’t look like a threat or Danse thought that if Sam tried something, that she wouldn’t get very far.

   “My name is Samantha Winters. Who are the Brotherhood of Steel?” Sam asked, confused. Danse’s eyes seemed to widen at her question but before he could elaborate, Scribe Haylen came up beside him.

  “The Brotherhood is a military group devoted to the collection and preservation of all pre-war tech. We also try to destroy all mutated creatures that are a result of overzealous scientists or high radiation exposure. Like those Ferals that you just helped Danse kill. Just letting you know, ‘Paladin’ isn’t Danse’s name, just his Rank. Like I’m a scribe and Rhys over there, is a Knight.” Haylen explained. As Rhys began to groan from his wounds, Haylen excused herself and went over to help him.

  “Wait a minute… Ranks? Like in the Army?” Sam questioned.

  “The Army?... Is that some faction? Are you a Raider?” Danse questioned, suddenly tensing. Sam threw her hands up in defence.

  “No! I mean the Army of the United States of America. Nate was a Captain back when he was still in the Army…” Sam rambled to herself. Danse looked visibly confused again.

   “If my memory serves me right, the United States hasn’t really existed since the bombs dropped on-“ Danse said.

   “October 23rd 2077\. I can’t ever forget that date. The day my life literally went to hell…” Sam finished. Hearing Sam, Haylen looked up from tending Rhys’ wounds and stared at Sam.

 “What do you mean? If you were there that day, that would put you over 210 years old.” Haylen questioned.

  “Yeah I was there. I had a husband and a beautiful baby boy. I had a house, a car, and a law degree. I also watched as bombs dropped on Boston and just barely made it into Vault 111 before my neighbourhood was destroyed. Oh yeah, then Vault-tec put me on ice for 210 years and my husband was murdered protecting my baby! I have woken up in my own personal hell and since setting foot outside that Vault, I’ve seen bugs the size of toddlers and I’ve faced down mutant lizards that are triple my height and almost ten times my weight. I’ve only barely managed to survive out here!” Sam started ranting. Without a word, Danse backed up slightly. Haylen came up to Sam and wrapped her arms around her. The air was slightly tense. Danse went over to Rhys and started to help him inside.

  “Mrs. Winters? If you’d like, as thanks for your aid, you can spend sometime inside and rest here for the night.” Danse suggested before he disappeared inside the police station. After a short while, Haylen and Sam walked inside the station and sat beside each other in the bullpen. Sam looked around the station. It looked completely different from when her father ran the place. While Sam’s father was happy that she got into law school, Sam also knew that he had hoped that she’d take over as Cambridge’s Captain someday. The ceiling looked ready to give away, and just in case, Sam headed for what had at one point been her father’s office.

Running her hand over the aged wooden desk, Sam could clearly remember her father sitting at one side and chastising her and Nate over their reckless behaviour. At one point, everyone in the station knew her and Nate and they were almost like a second family. The thought that they were probably consumed in nuclear fire almost made Sam sick. A knock at the door of the office grabbed Sam’s attention and she was surprised to see that it was Danse. Danse had gotten out of his armour and the tight jumpsuit left little to the imagination.

 “Call it a gut feeling, but you seem to know this place well. It must look very different from when you remember it…” Danse said.

   “More then you realise. My dad was the Police Captain here. This was my home away from home… Actually, if I remember he had a small stash in here. He unlocked it from his terminal.” Sam said, quickly going to the rusted computer on the desk. Five blank bars lined the screen, and as Sam thought of what the password could be, Danse came up beside her and looked over her shoulder at the screen.

  “I had Haylen take a crack at this. She couldn’t figure it out, so I’d say that you’re probably our best bet.” Danse said. At how close Danse was standing, Sam could easily pick out a scent that she had become very familiar with because of Nate. Even though he hadn’t seen a battle in ages, no matter how many times he showered or washed his clothes, Nate would always smell of Power Armour Grease. It became very comforting to Sam and she found herself losing her train of thought in Danse’s close company. Quickly shaking her head, Sam decided to try something. Slowly, Sam typed in ‘SAMMY’ and to her surprise, a faint click could be heard coming from underneath the wooden desk. Sam bent down and pulled a steel lockbox out from its wooden tomb. Danse looked at the box with both curiosity and shock.

  “Haylen couldn’t figure that thing out. She thought it might have been some secret code or maybe the captain’s registration. Little did we know that it was so simplistic.” Danse said, as Sam opened the box. Inside there was nothing of material value, but to the right person, it was a box of gold. Sam sheepishly placed her hand on her father’s badge and pulled it out. The badge was in perfect condition, polished to perfection, just like Sam would have expected from her Father. After that, Sam pulled out a holotape and a photo. Sam pocketed the holotape for the time being, but as she stared at the photo, Sam couldn’t help but cry. Danse tensed but as his curiosity got the better of him, looked at the picture. It was a photo taken after Nate and Sam got married. In the centre was obviously Sam in a pearl white dress, and beside her must have been Nate, who was dressed in a tuxedo. On Sam’s side was her mother, father, and two sisters. On Nate’s, stood his parents and his only brother. Both Sam and Nate were smiling from ear to ear, and suddenly Danse felt as though he was protruding on something that was seriously personal to a woman that he’d only gotten to know through two small conversations. Danse went to leave, but again stopped in the doorway. Looking over his shoulder, Danse called Sam. Sam wiped her eyes and looked up at Danse.

  “If you’re willing to offer me a hand, I’m off to raid Arcjet Systems tomorrow to get a long-range transmitter so that we can try and contact my superiors. With Rhys off duty and Haylen being the only one able to protect our position, I’d be on my own otherwise…” Danse suggested. Sam steadied her breathing before nodding gently.

  “I’d like that. Thank you Danse.” Sam replied.

  “No problem Sam. I’ll see you at 0900.”


	5. Arcjet and the Brotherhood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note. Anything in Italics, despite the low amount, is written. It'll make more sense as the chapter is read.

At exactly 9am, Sam and Danse left Cambridge. Haylen had given Sam a spare Laser Rifle as well as a few fusion cells and together Sam and Danse began the trek to Arcjet.

  “I appreciate the help today. I realise that you are not bound to help me, so thank you. You are the first person that my team and I have met since we’ve come to the Commonwealth that hasn’t tried to kill us.” Danse said, trying to break the awkward silence.

  “Have things really been that bad? I mean, I met a group in Concord and they were nice. They pretty much gave me my own suit of Power Armour in exchange for helping them out of Concord. After that, I met a Diner owner and after helping her eliminate some drug dealers, she gave me free ammunition and a warm bed for the night. I mean this place is a lot different from 2077, but I haven’t had that hard a time. It’s more the pain from my own memories that I have trouble with.” Sam replied.

Looking down at the Rifle in her hands, Sam still felt conflicted to use it. When Haylen had first given it to Sam, Sam had accidentally shot Danse’s power armour. Rhys had tried to tackle Sam to the floor, but Sam threw the rifle onto the floor like it was white hot and started apologising to Danse profusely. Danse then decided to give Sam a crash course on the use of a Laser Rifle, and once he felt that she was alright, told her that there was no harm in the slight laser burn to his armour.

  “You have Power Armour Training?! Why are you not using your suit? But yes, I’ve lost four brothers and sisters to this abysmal Wasteland already. If I could have, I’d have already retreated to D.C with Rhys and Haylen, but our mission still isn’t complete. Haylen has been tracking energy signatures that are only able to be made using super technology. That’s why I’m trying to contact the Brotherhood in D.C. We need reinforcements and we need them badly.” Danse answered.

  “The extent of my power armour training was the twenty minutes that I was in the suit, trying to both survive and kill a battalion of Raiders as they tried to retake Concord. To add salt to the wound, I then had to use it as I faced down a twenty-foot mutant lizard… As for your team, that’s harsh. I know that Nate always felt horrible when someone in his team suffered a wound, or worse, died.” Sam said.

  “Wait… Not twenty minutes out of being cryogenically frozen… you faced a Deathclaw… in a suit of power armour that you had no idea on how to use it? Sam, you are either the bravest and most selfless person I’ve ever met, or the craziest and most suicidal…” Danse said. Sam gave a small smile as she walked on.

  “Yeah… Nate always said I was crazy.” Sam said, quietly.

  “You’re always mentioning your late husband… Forgive me if I’m intruding but what was he like?” Danse asked, keeping his eyes forward.

  “Nate? Well I’ve never had to explain him to anyone before, but where do I start? He had been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We were as thick as thieves through school and even when he was away at war, we wrote to each other constantly. It was ironic that on the day we entered the vault, he was to go to the veteran’s hall to talk about the harshness of war and his own personal experience. Even though he’d killed, whenever he’d hold Shaun, it would be featherlight, almost like he was afraid that he’d break him. The thought of avenging Nate and getting my baby back has been the only thing helping me put one foot in front of the other since I came out of that frozen hell.” Sam answered.

  “I see. He sounds like a great man. I’m sorry for your loss.” Danse replied. Sam didn’t reply but simply nodded. Sam didn’t want Danse to think that she was ignoring him, so she looked him dead in the eye. Sam knew that at some point she’d have to stop tearing up every time she mentioned Nate, but his loss was a raw pain.

  After a small scuffle with some Raiders, feral hounds, and some overzealous Blackflies, Sam and Danse reached Arcjet. The building seemed to still be good condition, so they had no problem walking inside the front door. In the reception area, skeletons sat in the chairs, or at desks and Sam suddenly felt queasy. As Sam dashed outside to relieve her stomach, Danse looked around the building with disdain.

  “It was companies like this that were the last nail in the coffin for humanity. They took science too far and now we must try and repair their mistakes. All they cared about was the money they’d receive at the end, never bothered to think of the ramifications of their actions. Makes me sick…”

 Sam soon returned, slowly rubbing her aching stomach. It was hard to find anything palatable here in the wasteland and now Sam had relieved her stomach of the small amount she had eaten. Stopping, Sam rooted around in her pack until she found a can of Pork’n’Beans. Pulling open the can, Sam started eating the centuries old food and as her stomach started feeling better, Sam took notice of how Danse looked at her. A look of amusement and yet curiosity as well. Sam offered the small remainder of the can to Danse, who refused, and when she had finished, Sam threw the empty can into a nearby bin.

 Following Danse inside the building, Sam tried to take note of simply how many bodies there was. Skeleton after skeleton littered the floor and the chairs, the couches and in some cases, the lockers. After a short while, Sam and Danse came into a room full of destroyed Protectrons. As Sam tried to loot the ruined machines for any useful mechanical parts, Danse audibly cursed.

  “What’s wrong Danse?”

  “Look around Sam! No sign of a battle, no spent bullet casing or empty fusion core. This was a professional hit and I’m afraid that I may have made a mistake in bringing you here. This was done by Institute Synths.” Danse explained.

  “What are synths?” Sam asked

  “Synths are the Institute’s slaves. Mechanical humans that have no soul or free will. Puppets waiting for their strings to be pulled. They are sins against nature and should be eliminated without mercy. If my suspicions are correct, then this mission just got a lot harder and we will comb through this facility and make sure it’s clean. You will follow my orders to the T, and together we will pull this off.”

  “Is it really that bad?”

  “I’m sorry Sam, but I don’t really think you understand the severity of their presence here. If synths are here, that means that there’s something here that the Institute wants. I don’t want you to get harmed, especially since you are only here on my request, and I promise that you will come to no harm…”

  “Al…right then. Lead on so.” Sam said, gesturing for Danse to take point.

Together, Sam and Danse started going deeper into Arcjet. Synths were in fact, all over the facility and true to his word, Danse didn’t let a single blast hit Sam. That is to say that Sam did her fair share of damage as well and soon they reached the engine room. Danse looked over his Rifle as Sam tried to restart the generators so that they could reach the command centre. Danse was certain that the long-range transmitter would be up there since neither Sam or himself had found it on any of the synths that they’d encountered.

 Sam was flicking through the terminal in front of her. Haylen had given her a quick crash course in hacking terminals in case the skill was needed, especially in a building like Arcjet. Finally, the terminal booted into life and Sam pumped her fist slightly in victory. It had taken her a good ten minutes to crack the code, which ironically turned out to be a single word. POWER. Starting the generators, Sam headed out into an observation room and saw Danse fighting a gang of Synths by himself. Sam panicked and tried to head out and help him, but the door had sealed. Sam saw a large red button on a control console and thinking it would unlock the door, Sam slammed her hand down. A computer started to countdown and when Sam saw the engine over Danse’s head start to spark and fizzle, her heart fell into her stomach. Sam was slamming her fist on the glass and shouting for Danse’s attention, but he couldn’t hear her. Suddenly the engine kicked in and Sam had to put her arm up in front of her eyes to protect them from the intense light. When the engine died, Sam opened her eyes. Synths were spasming on the floor and their leathery skin was melting. It looked like a nightmare and Sam couldn’t keep looking. The door unsealed, and Sam ran out to Danse. Sam had to unbutton her jumpsuit slightly as the heat was intense. Sam went to press her hand on Danse’s shoulder, but he stopped her.

  “I’m lucky that my armour is temperature protected, but if you placed your hand on my armour right now, your skin would flash fuse to the metal plate.” Danse explained. Sam was awestruck.

  “How the hell did you survive that?! That was crazy!” Sam asked. Danse just gave a low chuckle and headed for the elevator.

  “Luck, I guess. Now come on, we’ve a mission to finish.”

  “Roger Paladin, I’m reporting for duty” Sam replied, laughing slightly. It felt good to laugh again, Sam thought. That would have been the first time that Sam laughed since Nate suggested another adventure in the park, 210 years in the past. Danse, on the other hand, thought that Sam’s laugh was both beautiful and contagious as he then broke into a stronger laughter after Sam started.

When Danse got serious again, Sam stepped into the elevator. It was difficult with the Power Armour, but Danse managed to get in beside her. The hair on Danse’s head brushed against the flickering bulb overhead. Slowly, the elevator lurched into life and began its upward journey. The aging tech groaned and grunted under the weight of Danse’s armour and Sam was silently praying that the cable not snap under the pressure. Eventually it reached the top and Sam, rather eagerly, jumped out. Danse stepped out behind her and pressed a single armoured digit against his lips. Sam acted the good soldier and followed behind Danse, careful not to step on anything that would give away their position.

Danse stopped at a corner and peered around. Danse then flicked his head in the direction of the room. Sam looked and of course, there were more synths. Sam took her original position, and as much as he could, Danse leaned over to whisper in her ear.

   “We could go in guns blazing, but that would be un needed and could lead to more injuries. None of our weapons are equipped with silencers, so any move we make will give us away… any ideas?”

  “Well I did find this in the lower levels… any idea what it is?” Sam replied, pulling a pulse grenade out of her pack.

  “This Sam, is a pulse grenade. Lethal to machinery, a nuisance to anything else…” Danse answered. Taking the grenade from her hand, Danse pulled the pin and rolled it into the room. After a few seconds, a wild cackling noise ran around the room, followed by garbled mechanical voices. Danse took another look and smiled when he saw that fortunately, all the synths were destroyed. Standing up, Danse holstered his rifle and walked in. Sam followed Danse in, grimacing at the sight of the mechanical skeletons. Sam pulled a Rifle out from underneath one and examined it. It seemed impressive, so Sam tucked it into her pack so that she could have a look at it later. Sam spotted something small, lying over beside one of the synths. Sam walked over to grab it, when a synth dropped from the ceiling, pinning Sam to the ground. Sam could only yelp in fright before the synth gave her a right hook to the jaw, knocking Sam out cold.

Some time later Sam woke up. Her jaw was bandaged, but it still hurt. Looking around, Sam realised that she was back at Cambridge Police Station. Sam sat up and gingerly ran a hand over her swollen jaw. Haylen walked in not long after, and she seemed to be happy to see that Sam was awake.

  “Paladin Danse Sir! Mrs Winters is awake!” Haylen shouted. Haylen crouched down and had a look at Sam’s jaw. Pulling a Med-X out of her pack, Haylen stared at the syringe for a second or two before she injected it into Sam’s cheek.

  “That should help with the pain but I’m afraid that you’re stuck like that for at least a day or two before the stimpaks will have repaired your jaw. You were lucky that you only got a broken jaw, I’ve known a few people that have gotten torn to pieces by synths.” Haylen explained. Sam was confused but before Haylen could keep explaining, Danse walked into the room, sans Power Armour, and Sam couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was perfectly built from head to toe. Sam felt bad because of the thoughts running through her head, but she couldn’t help it.

 “Just before we secured the deep range transmitter, you were unfortunately caught unaware by the enemy and knocked unconscious. After getting rid of the enemy and securing the objective, I determined that your condition was serious and needed medical attention, so I brought you back to the police station so that Scribe Haylen could tend to your wounds.” Danse explained. Sam tried to talk, but Haylen had her jaw wrapped tight. Haylen noticed Sam’s problem and quickly left the room. Returning a second or two later with a pad of paper and a pen, Haylen handed them to Sam.

_“Thank you, Paladin. That must have been hard on you. I’m sorry.”_

“It was no problem, Sam. I only repaid the favour that you gave me when you agreed to help me. I’m sure that you’d have done the same for me.”

 “The only difference is that Top wouldn’t have let the enemy get the literal drop on him…”

Haylen turned around and saw Rhys leaning against the doorpost. He had a deep scowl pressed across his face and it was pointed straight at Sam. Sam tried to return a scowl, but the painkillers were starting to kick in and her features softened.

  “May I remind you, knight, that it was because of Mrs. Winters’ help that we were not overcome by Ferals. You may not like it but we all owe Sam here our lives. Now go back to patrolling the perimeter, I don’t want us being caught off guard.” Rhys rolled his eyes and soon left.

  “Now, there was a matter that I’d like to discuss with you Sam. It was a refreshing experience to work with someone who knows how to follow orders and when we were entrenched, you kept your cool and worked efficiently and effectively. What I’m asking you is, would you like to join the Brotherhood? Or would you like to remain an aimless wanderer, working between settlements for a measly few caps?”

 “ _I’m not sure, what would be expected of me?”_

 “I only expect two things from the people in my charge. Honesty and respect. You’ll also be issued your own suit of power armour, have access to some of the best offensive technology available, and you’ll have the full support of the Brotherhood behind you. We look after our own, regardless of rank, be it a squire or the Elder himself.”

 “ _Yeah… I’d like that. I’ll join!”_

 “Outstanding, just what I wanted to hear! We will start your official training once Haylen gives you an all clear. Also, I’m granting you the rank of Initiate. This is merely a training rank and it is the highest rank that is within my power to bestow. Ad Victorium Initiate Winters and I hope you get better soon. Goodnight”  

After Danse left, Haylen gave Sam a light knock on the arm.

  “Welcome to the Family, Sam.”


	6. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a small chapter to finish off Sam's time in Cambridge with Gladius.

As soon as Haylen gave Sam the all clear, she all but jumped out of her bedroll and seemed eager to do anything. Haylen had removed the awkward bandage that had been wrapped around Sam’s head, but the large bruise still reminded her of what happened. They’d attempt talking in a few days, but for now Haylen wanted Sam not to go talking that much, and just give the jaw the time needed to heal. Rhys seemed delighted that Sam couldn’t talk and would go around opening and closing his mouth, obviously trying to tease her. Thankfully, Haylen was on Sam’s side and would either slap or shout at Rhys whenever he’d try something. Danse just didn’t seem to pay any attention, or actively ignored any of Rhys’ attempts to annoy Sam but would give a shake of his head whenever Rhys did anything.

A couple days later, Danse started formally training Sam. Sam was surprised with how fast Danse put an obstacle course together and especially how ruthless he was when she trained. Gone was the friendly superior officer, and he was replaced with a drill sergeant that shouted, screamed, and belittled. It was like a split personality. One evening however, Sam fainted in the middle of the course, and when she woke up, Danse apologised and gave her the following day to recover. When Sam took up training again, Danse was still rough in attitude, but not as much.

Days passed and with every passing sunrise, Sam’s time got better in the obstacle course, and her marksmanship skills increased almost ten-fold. Haylen walked Sam through the physical therapy for her jaw, and soon Sam was back to normal. Unfortunately, that meant that Sam could now shout back at Rhys’ unceasing mocking and after Sam had beaten him in the firing range, Rhys and Sam had gotten into a fight. As punishment, Danse had Rhys and Sam work together as a team to clear out College Square. Rhys objected at first, but the fury in Danse’s eyes killed the words in Rhys’ throat. Now Rhys and Sam were stuck between two groups of Ferals taking refuge in the old subway tunnels.

  “This is what happens when they strap a witless Initiate to a Knight… now we’re stuck and unless we can clear this shitstorm, I’m gonna die alongside you!”

  “You’re the one who was running through this place, screaming bloody murder and chucking hand grenades. If you slowed down and worked with me rather than on your own, we would be done and back at base.”

  “If you hadn’t shown up all those weeks ago, we’d-“

  “Be fucking dead! Both Danse and Haylen told me themselves.”

  “That’s PALADIN Danse and SCRIBE Haylen to you Initiate! Speak of your superiors with proper respect.”

The snarling eventually ceased and in the new-found silence, both Sam and Rhys found themselves screaming at each other. Laser fire followed and Rhys visibly winced when Danse’s voice rang out.

  “Knight Rhys! Initiate Winters! Are you two alright?”

  “Yeah Top! We’re good…”

Sam and Rhys scrambled out of the space they had crawled into. Danse looked disappointed and happy at the same time. As they walked back to Cambridge, Sam eventually broke the silence.

  “Why did you come down here Paladin?”

  “Well, both you and Rhys are my charges. Despite your inability to work together, you two are part of my team, as well as my brother and sister in steel. When you hadn’t returned after twenty-four hours, I decided to check and see if you two were alright.”

 “Thank you, Paladin.”

 “Yeah, thanks Top.”

 “No problem. Now I want a report, co-written, on the terminal by morning. Oh, and Winters? Scribe Haylen told me that she has tech that needs recovering, so I’m placing you on Quartermaster duty for the next few days.”

Rhys suddenly broke out laughing but stopped when Danse turned his attention on him.

 “Knight? I’m putting you on mess duty…”


End file.
